Position Available – Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program Manager, Richmond, VA. To apply. https://virginiajobs.peopleadmin.com/postings/65262 Sent in by Caleb Johnson, Regional Director, Northern Virginia, Virginia Veteran and Family Support, Virginia Department of Veteran Services.

National 8(a) Association Small Business Conference, February 6 – 8, 2017, Orlando, FL. Open for all small businesses; and for you Vets that are also SBA (8) a Certified, this is particularly for you. General Registration ends January 31, 2017. For details and to register to attend, read here….

A Variety of Veterans News from a Variety of Sources

Stars and Stripes US service member killed, 3 wounded in surprise raid on al-Qaida in Yemen. A U.S. Special Operations member died of injuries suffered during a weekend raid against al-Qaida militants in Yemen, the military said Sunday. Three other American troops, members of a Navy SEAL unit, were wounded in the operation on Saturday against members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

New York Times Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration: What We Know and What We Don’t. President Trump’s executive order on immigration indefinitely barred Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspended all refugee admissions for 120 days and blocked citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, refugees or otherwise, from entering the United States for 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Stars and Stripes Many US veterans angry that executive order keeps Iraqi interpreters out. Military veterans were dumbfounded and furious when it became clear over the weekend that President Donald Trump’s executive order barring the admission to the United States of people from seven majority-Muslim countries keeps out interpreters who risked their lives helping U.S. forces in Iraq.

Stars and Stripes Germany’s Merkel, Trump agree on importance of NATO in call. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine on Saturday and agreed on the importance of NATO during their first call since Trump’s inauguration.

Stars and Stripes Trump, Putin discuss ‘mutually beneficial’ trade, security . While the White House has yet to comment on Saturday’s phone call, the Kremlin released a statement hinting that the two men discussed the sanctions, implemented by the Obama administration as a consequence of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Military Times: Familiar faces in new places: Lawmakers to watch on defense in 2017. The commander-in-chief isn’t the only new face in Washington that troops and veterans should be keeping an eye on. The new session of Congress that started earlier this month brought with it a host of familiar lawmakers in new leadership roles who could have profound effects on military and veterans policy.

Stars and Stripes Proposed executive order on refugees could alienate military interpreters. The order being considered by the Trump administration probably would affect Iraqi interpreters who apply for the Special Immigrant Visa. If authorized, the executive action would temporarily block visas from seven countries for 30 days and suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days.

Military Times: This week in Congress: Senators hear from Secretary nominee David Shulkin. Most of the Cabinet-level confirmation hearings are already finished, but the nominee to take over the Department of Veterans Affairs hasn’t had his chance yet to face Senate scrutiny. That changes this week, as VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. David Shulkin goes before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Wednesday to answer questions about how he plans to manage the bureaucracy and implement the reforms outlined by President Trump.

Modern Healthcare: Shulkin expected to be easily confirmed to lead the VA. Barring the unexpected, Dr. David Shulkin is expected to have an easy time at his Senate confirmation hearing this week to become secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department. Shulkin was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2015 and quickly confirmed as the VA’s undersecretary for health to lead the vast Veterans Health Administration.

Washington Free Beacon: VA Losing Employee Support, Opening ‘Gaps’ in Veterans’ Care, Trump’s VA Secretary inherits workforce, wait time challenges. The Department of Veterans Affairs has lost employee managers at a growing rate in recent years, which has negatively affected some agency hospitals’ efforts to recruit clinical staff. The impact of the VA hospital network’s “systemic, long-standing” challenges with human capital is spelled out in a new report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, and represents one of multiple issues facing the agency under the new administration of Donald Trump.

Stars and Stripes: VA leader exempts many jobs from federal hiring freeze. The Department of Veterans Affairs will exempt many health care and other positions from a temporary federal hiring freeze, according to a memorandum issued Friday by acting VA Secretary Robert Snyder. President Donald Trump on Monday announced that federal agencies cannot fill open positions or create new ones for 90 days, until the Office of Management and Budget can devise a long-term plan to cut the federal workforce through attrition.

The Register-Herald: VA outlines list of positions exempted from hiring freeze. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued a memorandum to key officials in the department Friday outlining what positions they plan to exempt from President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze for federal employees. Trump issued the freeze Jan. 23, which includes an exemption for military jobs and jobs deemed necessary for public safety.

The Hill: VA specifies jobs exempt from Trump’s hiring freeze. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released a full list of jobs exempt from President Trump’s federal hiring freezing that includes a slew of medical specialties. “The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to exempt anyone it deems necessary for public health and safety, including frontline caregivers,” acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Snyder said in a statement.

The Washington Times (AP): VA says new Denver hospital to be exempt from hiring freeze. The Veterans Affairs Department says President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze won’t apply to a new VA medical center under construction outside Denver. The Denver Post reported Friday(http://dpo.st/2kaT6d4 ) the hospital will need to hire about 300 new employees for its projected 2018 opening. Doctors and nurses might be exempt from the freeze anyway, but officials worried the hospital wouldn’t be able to hire vital support staff.

The Washington Times (AP): Water restrictions imposed at Pittsburgh VA hospital. Authorities say water restrictions have been implemented in many areas of a Veterans Affairs hospital in Pittsburgh due to discovery of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires‘ disease. Veterans Affairs officials said routine testing at the hospital in the city’s Oakland section turned up the Legionella bacteria in many areas throughout the facility.

The New York Times: Troops Who Cleaned Up Radioactive Islands Can’t Get Medical Care. When Tim Snider arrived on Enewetak Atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to clean up the fallout from dozens of nuclear tests on the ring of coral islands, Army officers immediately ordered him to put on a respirator and a bright yellow suit designed to guard against plutonium poisoning.

The Washington Post (Kaiser Health News): The $4,500 injection to stop heroin overdoses. First came Martin Shkreli, the brash young pharmaceutical entrepreneur who raised the price for an AIDS treatment by 5,000 percent. Then, Heather Bresch, the CEO of Mylan, who oversaw the price hike for its signature EpiPen to more than $600 for a twin-pack, though its active ingredient costs pennies by comparison.

Arizona Public Media: Tucson VA to Stop Accepting Civilian Benefit Plans. The Southern Arizona VA Health Care system is no longer accepting patients that use one of two health care benefit programs for civilians associated with the military. The programs no longer accepted at the VA Hospital in Tucson are called the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Champva) and Tricare

KPCC (NPR-89.3, Audio): A new use for old shipping containers: housing for Veterans. Builders in Orange County are using an innovative approach to solve the long-running problem of homelessness among veterans. They’re transforming old shipping containers into new, permanent homes. The 16-unit apartment complex uses 54 recycled shipping containers that have been redesigned so each apartment has a kitchen, bathroom and living space.

Wayne Independent: Recycling outdated motels. In 2014, Los Angeles, California, mayor Eric Garcetti pledged to create accommodations for all the city’s homeless veterans by the end of 2015. The timeline was impossible, since Los Angeles is suffering an epidemic of homelessness. But the city and charitable groups like STEP UP didn’t get discouraged. Instead, they began remodeling this old motel, which had been vacant.

Winston-Salem Journal: Vietnam Vet runs headlong into blizzard of forms, denials at VA. Jarman Jenkins’ running battle with the Department of Veterans Affairs started in 2005 in a Home Depot. A Navy man and a Vietnam vet, Jenkins was about to pay for his purchases when a cashier casually informed him about a veterans’ discount. He carries a laminated copy of his discharge in his wallet but “they told me I needed a card from the VA. I didn’t know a thing about the VA.”

Daily Globe: Walz talks CA care, future in roundtable with Veterans. First District Congressman Tim Walz and a dozen veterans gathered Friday morning in Luverne for a candid conversation about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and its future under a new administration.

ABC News (Video): Army Veteran, Double-Amputee Finds New Battlefield in DC. Florida Congressman Brian Mast says he decided to run for office on a day seven years ago when he woke up in the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The Army bomb technician had been serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan, as part of the Joint Special Operations Command.

National 8(a) Association Small Business Conference, February 6 – 8, 2017, Orlando, FL. Open for all small businesses, and for you Vets that are also SBA (8) a Certified, this is particularly for you. General Registration ends January 31, 2017. For details and to register to attend, read here….

Commonwealth of Virginia Veterans – Healthy Relationships workshop in Charlottesville, February 17-19, 2017. The Mission: Healthy Relationships workshop is a relationship-building workshop for Veterans and their partners who have experienced deployments, family separation, and other common challenges today’s modern military presents. It’s free for all Virginia Veterans and their partners, all food/lodging included (the exception being dinner Saturday, which is “date night”). It is also free for active duty servicemembers/partners approaching discharge (roughly 6 months or less…..read more

Day Full of Unlimited Opportunities with Remarkable Veterans. Thursday, February 23, 2017, 110 S. Union Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA, 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM (followed by reception until 7:30 pm). The Muster DC is a one-day celebration designed to showcase veteran entrepreneurs, empower the D.C. entrepreneurial ecosystem, connect veterans with each other, and foster growth, knowledge, and success. For more details and to register, go here: http://us11.campaign-archive2.com/?u=d907c28bbc61151e5a473deee&id=91eff80ae8&e=36c6058233

U.S. Commerce Department’s “Veterans-only” Trade Mission to Vietnam & Singapore scheduled for March 6 through 10, 2017. Please pass along. Thanks to our good friend Colonel Ray Jardine, U.S. Army (Ret) in Hawaii, and amazing Veterans Advocate for getting this word to us. Aloha Ray and thanks! Go here to learn more and to register: https://build.export.gov/main/trademissions/ictasean/index.asp

Women Veterans Alliance 3-day Spring Unconference “Nourish Your Soul” March 24 – 26, 2017, Sacramento, California. For more information:http://www.womenveteransalliance.org/events/unconference/ Women Veterans Alliance in partnership with our nonprofit partner California Capital Financial Development Corporation will be hosting the Women Veterans Alliance Unconference. These 3 day events are the largest outreach to women Veterans in California that will provide resources and an amazing experience for all women that served from WWII to current, representing all branches. Our goal is to equip, empower, and encourage participants by providing opportunities to connect with service providers, fellow women Veterans, employers, and through interactive workshops.